I might be completely over thinking this but while reading David Copperfield recently, a quote brought Alice in Wonderland to mind, which was 'she could not relent towards the London smoke, which, she said, "peppered everything"'. This reminded me of the pig and pepper chapter in Alice in Wonderland, where the Duchess sings "I speak severely to my boy, / I beat him when he sneezes; / for he can thoroughly enjoy / the pepper when he pleases!". In relation to London smoke, I thought there was a chance this particular chapter was referring to the child labour and industrial revolution which was so big an issue in Victorian England. I don't know if anybody else can see the link here but I'd be interested to see if you do